Automobile cigarette light quencher and ashtray



June 1959 V F. F. MAGDZIARZ 2,388,936

AUTOMOBILE CIGARETTE LIGHT QUENCHER AND ASHTRAY Filed Aug. 26, 1957 I TINVENTOR. 20 /7 4 FRANK FMAGDZIARZ 3 Yiwv k 3" United States memoAUTOMOBILE CIGARETTE LIGHT QUENCHER AND ASHTRAY Frank F. Magdziarz,Calumet City, 111.

Application August 26, 1957, Serial No. 680,336

3 Claims. (Cl. 131-237) This invention relates to ash receivers and moreparticularly to a device for automatically quenching ignited cigarettesand discharging them into an ash receiver.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cigarette quencherfor use with ash trays carried within automotive vehicles so as tofacilitate the extinguishing of the cigarettes before they are droppedinto the ash receptacle so as to minimize the possibility of fires andeliminate the necessity of having to open unsightly ash receptacleswithin the vehicle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cigarettequencher of the above type that may be readily mounted uponsubstantially any type of ash tray in which the cigarettes may beextinguished without soiling the hands, discharging ashes into theambient air, and without requiring the use of more than one hand for theentire operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is top plan view, with parts broken away, of a cigarettequencher made in accordance with the present invention in operative use;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view showing detailsof certain parts of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another operating part of the presentinvention; and

Figure 6 is a front plan view of a still further element forming a partof the present invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a cigarette quencher 10made in accordance with the present invention is shown in operativeassociation supported upon the top of an open top ash tray 13. Thisdevice includes a cover plate 12 which supports all of the operatingparts so that the device can be readily removed from the ash tray inorder to empty the contents of the ash tray during use.

This ash tray 13 includes a front panel that has a knob 14 for efiectingreciprocating sliding movement thereof in a conventional manner. Thefront panel 15 also defines a transverse slot 16, through which anoperator extension 23 extends for purposes hereinafter described. Theactual operating mechanism includes an operating lever 17 that has asubstantially centrally located pressure plate 18. This lever 17 isprovided with an ear 20 at one end which is pivotally secured to thecover plate 12 by means of a rivet 21. A leaf spring 24 secured to oneof the side walls of the cover plate 12 normally urges the pressureplate 18 of the operating lever 17 toward the opposite side wall of theash tray 13. However, a resilient latch hook 26 yieldably mounted uponthe one side wall of the cover plate 12 lis . 2 extends throughanaperture 27 in the pressure plate 18 to retain the operating lever inthe retracted position; A manually operated actuator in the form of aframe 30 having a central opening 31 overlies the top of the cover plate12 and is supported, by means of depending lugs 32 which are slidablyreceived within provided openings in the cover plate 12, for limitedvertical movement. These lugs 32 are positioned at three corners of therectangular frame 30, while the remaining corner includes a downwardlyextending leg 33 that rests upon the top of the hook finger 26, as ismore clearly shown in Figure 4.

In actual use, the cover plate 12 and operating parts carried therebyare placed upon the top of the ash tray 13 and the operator extension 23which extends through the slot 16 is moved against the action of thespring 24 into engagement with the hook finger 26 which secures thepressure plate in the retracted position 18a out of engagement with theopposite side wall of the ash tray. When it is desired to extinguish acigarette, it is extended downwardly through the opening 31 in theactuator frame 30 and into a similar opening in the cover plate 12 sothat it is disposed in the path of movement of the operating lever. Bythen depressing the actuator frame 30, the leg 33 is operative todepress the latch hook 26 to the release position 26a, whereupon thepressure plate 18 will move, under action of the leaf spring 24, towardthe opposite side wall of the ash tray under the action of the leafspring 24 to squeeze the cigarette 35 between the pressure plate 18 andthe side wall of the ashtray, thus extinguishing the lit end. The partsmay then remain in this position until the next cigarette is to beextinguished, prior to which the operator extension 23 is returned tothe initial position 23a where it is held by the hook finger 26, untilthe next cigarette is to be extinguished. It is noted that the slot 16in the front panel 15 has a length suflicient to permit the lever 17 topivot to such an extent that the pressure plate 18 will clamp the litend of a cigarette against the adjacent side wall in order to extinguishthe same. When the extension 23 is moved to the position 23a, theextinguished butt will drop into the ash tray 13. After the ash tray hasbecome filled, it is only necessary to raise the cover plate 12 fromengagement therewith whereupon the ash tray 13 may he movedlongitudinally out of its mounting, emptied, and returned into operativeassociation with the quencher.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A cigarette quencher comprising, in combination, a mounting plate tobe removably supported upon the open top of a slidably mounted ashtrayreceiver having spaced parallel side walls, an operating lever pivotallysupported at one end upon said mounting plate for movement in a planeparallel thereto and having an opposite end extending outwardly of thetray, a pressure plate carried by said operating lever, spring meansurging said pressure plate toward one of said side walls of said ashreceiver, releasable means restraining said pressure plate when out ofengagement with said one side wall, and a manually operated actuator foroperating said releasa'ble means to permit said pressure plate to movetoward said one side wall to squeeze a cigarette between said pressureplate and said one side wall, said releasable means comprising aresilient latch mounted upon the lower side of said mounting plate, andsaid actuator comprising a frame mounted upon the top of said mountingplate having a depending leg in abutting engagement 2,ss s,93 e

with said latch for effecting movement thereof toward References Citedin the file of this patent an open position.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said UNITED STATESPATENTS mounting plate includes an apertni e for receiving said 804,333Mueller Nov. 14, 1905 leg thetethrough. 5 2,253,473 Statelles Aug. 19,1941 3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein s aigi 2,262,440Moberg Nov. 11, 1941 spring means comprises a leaf springacting betweensaid 2,533,679 Michel Dec. 12, 1950 operating lever and the other one ofsaid side walls;

